Captain CRAIGasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that an Irish national school teacher upon retirement receives a pension of one-eightieth of his salary for each year of service and without any lump sum, whereas a Scottish teacher, in addition to a similar pension, receives a lump sum of one-thirtieth of his salary, and where the pension is less than £100 per annum a further sum of £1 per year is added to the pension; and whether it is proposed 274W to take steps to put the Irish teacher on the same pension footing as Scotch teachers and, if so, when?
§ Mr. HENRYThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, so far as Irish teachers are concerned. As regards the last part, it has already been announced that pensioned Irish teachers shall be eligible for the benefits recommended by the Cabinet Committee for pre-War State pensioners generally. The question of any further alterations of the pension terms of Irish teachers is being considered.